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Jersey Rally Advice

Hi everybody,

we're signing up to do the jersey rally for the first time and I wanted to get some advice on the itinerary and event.

- On the thursday, service opens at 10:00 but scrutineering doesn't start until 17:00 in the evening. Is this just to allow competitors to arrive throughout the day? Is it worth pitching up early? - Its 30 stages across 2 days. How often will the car normally be revisiting service? Every 3-4 stages? - Does anybody know whats the arrangements normally are for fuel and the consumables? Do we need to bring all of our own or will fuel be available. - How many set of tyres would you recommend? Normally a set would do a single venue rally which might be 5-6 stages, but are we really talking about 5 sets! Feels to much

Re: Jersey Rally Advice

I have done Jersey rally a few times, great event. Closed roads, good weather (usually) & a good atmosphere.

I am not sure about Service opening early, assume its for the reason you mention.

Yes 30 stages, most are quite short so a loop of 4 stages before service is likely. Be advised that the schedule is very tight & the organisers will use service to absorb lateness in the rallOn more than one occasion we had less than 20 mins (11 mins in one case) to service & get back on the road. On Friday afternoon the roads can be busy which can lead to road penaltys.

They usually check for fuel being carried at the ports, you wont be allowed on the boat with full jerry cans. We bought all of our fuel on the island but some crews did transport fuel cans hidden with empty jerry cans near the back of the van to be 'checked' at the port.

The roads are very easy on tyres, its not abrasive at all & you wont wear many out. Smooth tarmac & any rain turns leafs & debris into an ice rink, it can be slippy under the trees unless its been hot & dry for a few days before the rally. On every occasion I went I started & finished the rally on the same set of tyres (all dry events for me). I took too many wheels each time but changing weather might make a difference.

If you haven't got spot lights - get some! for the Friday night stages.

Allow at least 2 days to recce, the rules usually state no reconnaissance in the week of the rally but UK crews usually do this & nobody seems to mind as long as you are careful & discrete. The reason for the rule is not to piss off local residents too much so don't look like a recceing crew - don't be obvious waving pacenotes & roads books around (or drive like an idiot!).

My absolute best piece of advice is to befriend a jersey crew seeded in front of you, navigating between stages is surprisingly difficult. Jersey lanes are like a rabbit warren & it might be different now but the issued maps were not that good. The crew in front of us on every jersey rally we did (4) waited at the stage finish to lead us to the next one. On the recce pay particular attention to making notes on finding your way to the next stage!

You might be thinking 'get a better navigator' but for example Nicky Grist got lost between stages when competing with Peter Llloyd & was technically OTL. Each stage is run about 4 times so you start to learn the routes but its the first run through that causes the stress :-)

Don't speed between stages, locals get upset & the local part time police are around with speed guns. I got pulled in for 19 mph in 14 mph zone! (hope you have a working speedo!)

Re: Jersey Rally Advice

Thanks para144, really good advice.

I might have to pick your brains a bit more as we get closer! its our first multi venue rally so navigating between stages and the like is totally new to us, having said that my brother in law is navigating so its easy for us to get out and practise.